Chapter 31

Now two weeks later, Mason, Isiah, Kevin and I were going on a school field trip together. We were heading to a dinner theatre. We would get to eat dinner and then they were performing a musical. The musical being performed was The Hunchback of Notre Dame. I remembered watching the movie once as a little kid, but I didn't remember the story at all, so it would be interesting. Unfortunately, we didn’t need to leave until after school so we had to deal with that first.

After going through the motions of school James picked me up and drove home. The dinner theatre was kind of fancy and everyone was told to wear nice clothes. No jeans or sneakers. Searching through my closet, I picked a simple black and white long sleeve shirt. I paired it with a pair of black dress pants and flats. Looking in the mirror, I actually felt pretty. And Mason made sure I knew it too. The second I stepped out of the car when James dropped me off, Mason was rushing towards me. 

“You look beautiful, Sera,” he said. His voice was so filled with sincerity that I couldn’t even try to deny it. Grabbing my hand, he led me onto the bus and to the very back where Isiah and Kevin were sitting together. We took the seat right next to them. Me by the window and Mason on the edge. 

We listened to music and chatted the entire way there. Mason never let go of my hand once. It took a whole two hours to reach the dinner theatre. When we arrived we were ushered off the bus and into a group in front of the door. We were forced to take a big group picture before we were led inside by an employee. 

We filed one by one into a large square room. There was a big empty space in the middle of the room which held a buffet full of food. On the edges of the room were tables and chairs arranged on three levels. The tables and chairs were also separated into four corners. The employee led us to a corner where we all filed into the seats one by one. 

Once everyone in our group was seated, waiters flocked to the tables asking us what drinks we wanted. As we waited, Mason, Isiah, and Kevin talked while I flipped through a pamphlet that was sitting on the table. Turns out, most of the waiters were also going to be performing in the show. Our waiter finally came to our table and I asked for Root Beer. 

After getting our drinks our table was called to go get food. I wasn’t very hungry and didn’t like most of the food so I ended up with a small plate of only some fish and macaroni and cheese. Taking the plate back to my table, I waited for the others to return as well. Several moments later, all three returned with their plates piled with food. They were like mini food mountains. I passed out a basket of rolls to everyone and grabbed one for myself before digging in. Sadly, the mac and cheese was cold and wasn't even good. The fish, however, was delicious. Too bad I didn’t get more, I was starving. 

After another hour of people arriving, getting food, and eating, plates were cleared and everyone was told that there was ice cream in the lobby for anyone who wanted some.  Of course, Mason and I decided to get some. I didn’t know how he still had any room left, but I would take anything I could get right now. We got in line quickly and before I knew it and employee was asking me what flavor I wanted. 

“Vanilla or chocolate?” 

“Um, vanilla.” 

She scooped out some ice cream and placed it in a small bowl before handing it to me. The line moved on and I saw that the rest of the table was filled with all kinds of toppings. Cherries, sprinkles, Oreo crumbs, M&M’s, caramel, hot fudge, whipped cream, and more. Deciding to go a little more conservative, I only got caramel and some sprinkles. I waited for Mason to finish with his and we headed back to the table. 

In the middle of eating my ice cream, our waiter returned and filled our drinks. He also gave us a choice between chocolate cake or cheesecake. I, of course, chose the cheesecake and it was delicious. Soon after, our last plates were being cleared and the buffet was removed from the floor. I watched as two people swept the floor and made sure it was clean. 

Finally, an older guy came out with a microphone and started speaking. He told us the rules and what to expect. And then he went around and introduced all of the groups. Apparently, everyone here was on a trip of some kind. There was even a group all the way from Pennsylvania. Crazy people. 

Once he said our school name we all screamed as loud as we could. He spoke a little more before walking out and the lights dimmed. Through the darkness, I could just barely see things moving. Stage crew making the set. And the musical started. 

It was absolutely amazing. Everyone was so talented. The girl who played Esmerelda was so beautiful and such an amazing actor. The man who played Quasimodo was brilliant. I almost felt like I was looking at the real version. The costumes were amazing as well. I cried several times. It was such a sad musical. 

Once it was over we were all ushered out of the building and back onto the bus. Mason and I took our previous spots, Isiah and Kevin right beside us. It took quite a while for everyone to get back on the bus, but once they were attendance was taken and we were off. 

Isiah and Kevin mainly kept to themselves so Mason and I did the same. About ten minutes into the ride Mason reached down and intertwined his hands with mine. He squeezed and I squeezed back. We both had goofy smiles on our faces. 

The more we talked the more I grew tired. It had been a long day. Without really thinking about it I leaned over and laid my head on his shoulder. If he was surprised or uncomfortable, he didn’t show it. Our talking lessened into whispers and I eventually stopped replying at all, choosing to just listen instead. Before I realized it, I was drifting off. 

When we reached the school, Mason woke me up my moving our still intertwined hands and placing a kiss on the back of mine. 

What a way to wake up! 

We made our way out of the bus slowly. Outside in the dark Mason kissed me goodnight and I got into the car where Tessa was waiting for me. It was rare when she picked me up since James always wanted to do it. But it was welcome. I told her all about my day, but we mainly talked about Mason. There was no way that I could talk to James about this stuff. Not only was it kinda awkward to even think about, but something tells me he would jump straight into protective mode. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was what it would be like with my mom. 

It didn’t take long before we were home once again. Tessa headed in first and I was right behind her. But once I got to the door, I stopped. Before I opened the door, I turned around and looked towards the sky. The moon was bright and the stars were shining. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I could almost feel my mom looking down on me. 

“I miss you, mom.” I sighed and looked down before turning around and heading back inside. Even with my nap on the way home, I was exhausted so I said goodnight and headed to bed.